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Photo: Defenseman Nathan Beaulieu was selected 17th overall in the 2011 NHL Draft. Beaulieu made his NHL debut in 2012-13, appearing in six games and recording two assists. (courtesy of Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images)

The Montreal Canadiens surprised everyone by jumping from 15th place in the Eastern Conference in 2011-12 to second in the conference and winning their division in the lockout shortened 2012-13 season. The quick first round exit from the Stanley Cup playoffs by the Canadiens against the Ottawa Senators only confirmed to General Manager Marc Bergevin that his team is not built yet to be a yearly playoff contender in the Eastern Conference.

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Hockey's Future polled their staff to find out who their choice was for the 2013 Calder Trophy. As it was last season, when Colorado's Gabriel Landeskog narrowly edged out Edmonton center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, this year's contest came down to two forwards.

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Photo: Brady Vail and the Windsor Spitfires failed to make the playoffs in 2012-13. Vail posted 55 points in 68 regular games with Windsor. (Terry Wilson / OHL Images.)

The Montreal Canadiens prospects at the lower professional levels were unable to gain any post-season playing experience as the Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL) and the Wheeling Nailers (ECHL) failed to qualify for their respective playoffs.

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Photo: Florida Panthers forward Jonathan Huberdeau finished the 2012-13 season tied for the lead among NHL rookies with 31 points (courtesy of Rich Kane/Icon SMI)

Hockey's Future presents the top grouping of the Spring NHL Team Rankings, the staff's ranking of each NHL team's system based on the strength of the entire prospect pool. For reference, just the top five prospects are listed. To be eligible, a prospect must meet HF's prospect criteria. The ranking is done twice a year, with this edition being an update to the Fall ranking.

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Photo: Jarred Tinordi (left) and Alex Galchenyuk (right) are two prospects who are considered crucial parts to the Montreal Canadiens future. (courtesy of Minas Panagiotakis/Icon SMI)

The Montreal Canadiens 2013 Hockey's Future Prospect Awards are based on the 2012-13 regular season performances in all the leagues in which a Canadiens prospect has played. The award winners are selected by the HF writers and decided on after all the tabulations of the opinions from the HF staff.